The Three Patronuses
by thebooktrooper
Summary: James and Lily come back to life, fourteen years after they died on that dreadful Halloween night. How will they react to missing fourteen years of Harry's life? Jily Returns story. Harry is a tad OoC
1. Chapter 1

Lily woke to darkness. Though she couldn't see anything, she could sense that she was in a tight, dry space that was oddly silent. Panicked, she kicked her legs and shoved with her arms at the short ceiling that was above her. Where was she? What was she doing here? Memories trickled into her brain, clicking into place like a puzzle.

Peter had betrayed them. Voldemort came, and James had tried to hold him off, so she had a chance to leave and save Harry. She had heard the curse from the library, the ugly curse that had ended her husband's life. Voldemort found her, and she begged for Harry's life before a bright green light hit her chest. Had she died? If so, how was she alive? Or was this the afterlife? Where was James?

Harry.

Where was he? Was he alive? Had he died? Was he ok? Using the wand left conveniently in her hands, Lily cast a Reducio charm on the top of her coffin, holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut.

Rubble sprinkled down on her, soiling the pristine dress she had been buried in. Shaking it off, Lily climbed out of her grave and examined her surroundings. She was in a graveyard, the same one that was in Godric's Hollow. James's grave laid right beside hers, though his was in pristine condition unlike her exploded one. She cast Reducio once more on James's grave, praying that he had also woken up.

Bright hazel eyes gazed back at her from the destroyed coffin in the ground. Sighing in relief, Lily waited for James to climb out.

"Lily? Where are we?" His voice was scratchy but audible. He wrapped her in a large hug, squeezing tight. She had always loved hugs from James. His larger frame wrapped around hers perfectly, and always hade her feel better.

"The graveyard in Godric's Hollow," Lily whispered. Her mouth was extremely dry, and it hurt to talk above a whisper. Scanning the nearby graves, Lily realized that Harry's was nowhere in sight.

"James, where's Harry?" Her voice rose an octave out of panic. If Harry wasn't buried with them, where was he? They must have been dead for at least a week for there to be time to bury them. Not to mention the question of _how the bloody hell were they alive?_

"Probably with Sirius like he is supposed to be," James said casually, "talking about Padfoot, I need to talk to that bloody git. Look! We didn't have a single flower on our graves!" Lily snorted at her husband's ridiculous antics and was about to retort with something logical before she saw a figure walking towards their graves. She signaled for James to stop ranting about Sirius and Remus's lack of flowers, and walked closer to the mysterious figure.

"Who's there?"

"Albus Dumbledore," replied an old, but strong voice. Relief flooded through Lily for the second time that night, "who are you?"

Though it was dim outside, the lack of light couldn't hide the fact that Albus had aged. _It must have been years._ The thought sent shivers down Lily's spine. Just how much of her son's life had she missed?

"It's us, James and Lily Potter," replied James. Though we've been married for over a year now, being called a Potter still made Lily's heart soar with happiness. Albus looked as if he felt the complete opposite, as he set his wand straight for Lily and James, an angry look settling on his face.

"How dare you impersonate Lily and James!" He shouted, "How dare you disturb their graves and steal their bodies!" What? _Impersonate?_ Had Albus gone mad while we were dead?

"It's us, Albus. I don't know how, or why, but the last thing I remember is Voldemort killing us before waking up in my coffin. If you don't believe that we are the true Potters, use Veritaserum. We are not imposters." The anger on Albus's face faded, but he did not lower his wand.

"Veritaserum is not necessary. I will ask you a question that only the Potter's would know. Then we may consider the use of Veritaserum." James wrapped his arm around Lily's waist. "Who was your secret keeper?" James's grip tightened around Lily's waist, and she flinched at the reminder of Peter's betrayal.

"Sirius, but we changed it to Peter without telling anyone." Lily answered, looking at Albus confused, "How did you learn about the switch?"

"And what were the Marauder's animagus forms?" James looked surprised but answered confidently.

"Sirius is a dog, Peter is a rat, I'm a stag, and Remus is a werewolf." James looks at him even more confused, "But how did you know?"

"That is a question for another time, my boy." Albus looked at them, and suddenly, Lily realized, he looked very tired. "Return to Hogwarts with me. You may stay the night. We have much to discuss."

"How do we know you are actually Albus?" Lily questioned. For all they knew, this could be a trap schemed by Voldemort.

Albus, or who they assumed to be him, smiled. "You must find that out for yourself, I suppose."

"Who did you tell us to pick as our secret keeper?" Lily struggled to keep any and all emotion out of her voice.

"Myself."

The tension in Lily's shoulders relaxed. "James? Do you have a question for him?"

"No, you took mine." A soft smile spread across Lily's face, "Alright, Albus. Lead the way."

Albus nodded, and in a daze held out his arm for the couple to take before he apparated them all out of the dreadful graveyard and to the outskirts of Hogsmead.


	2. Chapter 2

James's mind was in complete chaos. Ha hadn't been this confused since he had tried to study for his NEWTS. A million thoughts sprinted through his mind every minute, unable to stay long enough for him to fully comprehend them.

Peter had betrayed them and sold their lives to Voldemort. If it wasn't for Harry, James would go on a hunt to find and kill that rat. As for Harry, where was he? He was supposed to be with Padfoot, but in war, nothing goes according to plan.

How long had it been since they died? Albus certainly looked older, but he looked old before. Not knowing what year it was was extremely distorting. What was the latest broom model? Had Harry left for Hogwarts yet? How much of his son's life had he missed?

After apparating outside of Hogsmead, the trio walked towards Hogwarts. One glance at Lily let James know that she was extremely worried. He took her hand in his, knowing that it calmed her down whenever she was stressed. He rubbed circles using his thumb, a habit he formed after he learned how much she loved it when he did it.

The familiar site of Hogwarts loomed in front of them as Albus led them to his office. Walking hand in hand they soon reached the gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office. The familiar hallways brought back memories of pranks, stolen kisses, and all the mischief he had managed.

"Jelly Slugs," Albus stated. James grinned and shook his head. Albus still had his sweet passwords. Some things never changed.

They entered Albus's office and sat down on the chairs Albus had conjured for them. Nothing had changed since James had last visited. The four-poster bed, silver instruments, sleeping headmaster portraits, everything. It was as if no time had passed. Letting go of Lily's hand, James asked the question that was on both of their minds

"Sir? How long has it been? Since we died I mean." Fear crept into James's stomach, tying it into knots. Albus paused as if trying to find a way to break bad news gently. Lily's hand grabbed James's once again and squeezed it tightly.

"It has been fourteen years, James. Fourteen years," James's heart crumbled. Lily gasped beside him, but it was as if she were a mile away from him. Everything blurred. Fourteen years. Harry had probably forgotten all about them. They had missed the first fourteen years of his life. They hadn't been there for half of his time at Hogwarts. Was he a prankster? Or had he taken after Lily and been a teacher's pet?

Glancing over at Lily, James realized she was crying. Squeezing her hand tighter, he whispered, "It's alright Lily-flower. We're here now, aren't we?" It was hard comforting her when he felt the same way, but he knew he had to try. "When can we see him? And Remus and Sirius?"

"Remus is staying in the castle right now, but it may take a while to reach Sirius" Why would it take a while to reach Sirius? Wouldn't he be raising Harry with Remus? James wanted to ask, but let Albus continue. "As for Harry, I will contact him tonight and we can visit him tomorrow."

"Wait, so Harry isn't with Sirius or Remus? Why is Remus at the castle?" Lily asked. Albus ignored her and continued.

"I'll ask Remus right now if he knows where Sirius is. If we can get in contact with Sirius, you two can reveal yourselves tomorrow. Afterward, you may pick Harry up." Albus's eyes twinkled under his half-moon spectacles. "You may stay in the Room of Requirement tonight. I don't think its safe to reveal to the world that you two are alive again, not now that Voldemort is back"

Voldemort? Back? When did he leave in the first place? Why can't they find Sirius? Where is Harry? James's head started to hurt with all the questions. After Dumbledore dismissed them, James led Lily to the Room of Requirement. They paced outside of the door, thinking about the comfiest room they could think of. Once the door appeared, they walked in, greeted with a blazing fireplace and a Gryffindor themed room. A large bed stood in the middle of the room, inviting them to lie down. James threw himself on the bed, not caring about pajamas.

"James, you should really change." Lily said, "I mean you a literal walking zombie right now, and you have grave dust all over you." James chuckled.

"Fine. Toss me some, will you?" Lily rolled her eyes, but pulled some out of the closet and tossed them to James. They both changed and showered before curling underneath the comforter and snuggling together.

"We missed fourteen years of his life, James." Lily whispered, tears threatening to escape from her eyes. "He won't even remember us. What if he hates us? What if I'm a terrible mum? How do you raise a teenager who doesn't even know you? What if he doesn't want to life with us?"

James ran a hand through her hair, "Shh, it'll be ok. I'm sure he'll remember something about us. You'll be a great mum, he'll love you. I'm sure of it. It's impossible to not love you Lily. We'll figure it out, together. Like we always do. Right?"

"Right." Lily moved closer to James, snuggling underneath his arms. "I love you," her voice was already soft from sleep. James smiled, burrowing his nose deeper into her hair.

"I love you too. Sleep well, Lily-flower."

 **That night at Number 4 Privet Drive**

Harry limped up to his bedroom, Uncle Vernon's shouts echoing behind him. His stomach grumbled after being denied a meal for the third day in a row. Dudley had thought it would be funny to break one of of Aunt Petunia's favorite bowls and blame it on Harry. Coupled with Uncle Vernon claiming that the chicken for dinner was over seasoned and 'inedible' Harry's beating had been twice as bad as normal. He had been left with no meals for another day, and extra chores.

Though it felt as if he were about to pass out, Harry hesitated to lie down. Sleeping was the last thing he wanted to do. His nightmares got worse every night, leaving him sleep deprived and anxious. He wondered if he would even wake up in time the next morning to make breakfast. He had an alarm clock, but Harry would probably sleep through it while his body tried to repair the damage Uncle Vernon had caused.

Hedwig flew in the window just then, landing on his desk with a chirp. A small grin formed on Harry's face as he untied the letter from her leg, and placed her in her cage with a treat. He went to tear the letter open, when he realized that it was sealed with the Hogwarts seal. Confused, he tore open the familiar seal. His book lists weren't due to arrive for another couple of weeks, why else would Dumbledore need to contact him?

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _After a rather strange turn of events, it is no longer necessary for you to remain at the Dursley residence. I will collect you and all of your belongings at 10 am. Please be prepared, as you will not be returning._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Harry re-read the letter several times, not believing his eyes. No longer necessary? Not returning? In less than 12 hours, he would never see the Dursley's perfectly trimmed yard again. Relief flooded through his chest, but it quickly turned to fear. Uncle Vernon had punched him in the face at least once that night, let alone the bruises and cuts he had most likely left on Harry's arms and legs. How was he going to hide that?

Sighing, Harry determined that that was a problem future Harry would have to deal with. For once, he didn't set an alarm. If he slept in long enough, he wouldn't have to deal with the Dursley's at all. He would wake up, change into a long sleeve shirt and pants, tell the Dursley's he was leaving for good, and get picked up by Dumbledore. He could brush off his black eye and anything else as the results of a fight.

Finally, he let himself lie down in bed and drift off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Lily woke up to her husband's familiar snoring. It was the only sound that filled the room, and she took a moment to stretch and enjoy the peace of the moment. Deciding that the sooner she got up, the sooner she would see Harry, Lily pushed the warm covers off and walked towards the closet to pick an outfit for the day.

After thinking for a moment, Lily decided on a light blue t-shirt and leggings. She changed quickly and then went to the bathroom to grab a hairbrush. Running it through the dreaded knots in her hair, Lily walked towards the bed where James still laid asleep. She let out a loud sigh and set down her brush.

Lily tried to shake James awake, but it was to no avail. He slept like the dead, no pun intended. She cast an _aguamenti_ charm, which typically worked.

"Bloody hell Lily, what was that for? Now I'm soaked!" Lily chuckled and threw James a towel she had taken from the bathroom.

"You better get ready soon. You don't want to be late to meet Sirius, now do you?" At the mention of Padfoot, James jumped out of bed and started getting ready. He chose a maroon shirt and slacks from the closet and changed.

My mind drifted to the possibilities of later. How would Remus and Sirius react to our return? Would they be excited? Scared? Angry? And what about Harry? What would he look like? How would he act? And _where was he_?

"Whatcha thinking about?" James asked. Lily glanced up at him and chuckled. In his hurry to get ready he had put his shirt on inside out. "What?"

"James, dear, your shirt is on inside out," she explained, a smirk forming on her face. James looked down and blushed. While he switched it Lily chose to answer his first question, "I was thinking about Harry. I bet he looks just like you in fourth year," James nodded.

"Ah, but with your eyes." He replied, and gave her a swift kiss. " Are you ready?" Lily nodded, and they left the Room of Requirement. When they reached the Headmaster's office, Lily tried the password that had worked the night before.

"Jelly Slugs?" She asked, hoping that Albus hadn't changed the password overnight. The gargoyle stepped aside, and they climbed the staircase up to his office. James knocked on the door and was greeted with an old, tired voice.

"Come in."

James pushed the door open, and they sat down on the same chairs as they had the night previous. Dark bags hung underneath Albus's eyes. He must have had a long night after he had found them in the graveyard, but it wasn't late in the morning. Had he slept at all?

"Good morning you two. Last night, Remus informed me that he knew of Sirius's whereabouts. We were able to contact and retrieve Sirius last night, and he is currently staying with Remus in the castle." James perked up at the good news, eyes sparkling eagerly. Lily smiled, feeling the same eagerness and anticipation as her husband.

Dumbledore offered them a smile back, and with a wave of his wand sent a Patronus charm summoning Padfoot and Moony.

 **Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor dormitory...**

Remus had woken up from his short night's sleep to a Patronus message from Dumbledore. He rarely had a full nights sleep, so waking up exhausted was nothing new to him. What was different, however, was the sleeping body in the bed next to him. For some odd reason, Dumbledore had called him at 2 am that morning for an 'urgent meeting'. For whatever reason, the old man had wanted to contact and retrieve Sirius. Through the early hours of the morning, the two had completed the task, leaving Remus and Sirius to have a blissful single hour of sleep before being awakened by Albus's Patronus message.

Or at least one of them had.

Padfoot was still sound asleep in his bed, snoring softly. Part of Remus wished he could leave him, and respond to Dumbledore alone, but the message had specifically asked for both of them. Remus conceded that it wouldn't take long for Sirius to get ready, and he could sleep in for a few moments while Remus attempted to calm his bedhead and get dressed.

Padfoot's sleep ended shortly as Remus finished getting ready and prepared to wake him up. Not feeling up to dealing with a soaked friend, Remus decided to go with a more creative approach.

"Padfoot, the Dementors are waiting outside for you." Sirius's hand smacked straight into Remus's face as he scrambled to get out of bed and hide.

" Dementors? Where? Hide me!" His face grew red as the realization that the air wasn't cold fell over him. Casting a sharp glare at Remus, he growled, "Not funny Moony. Not funny at all." He looked as if he were about to pounce on Remus, who decided it was best for him to intercede.

"Now, now Sirius. You know I wouldn't wake you up unless it was important." Sirius groaned. "Dumbledore wants us in his office in another five minutes. Urgent meeting."

"Another one? We had one like 2 hours ago!" Sirius ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to make it look neater. Remus shrugged, having no answer. He was wondering the same thing himself. Maybe this meeting would explain why it had been so necessary for them to collect Sirius at 4 am.

Once Sirius deemed his hair neat enough they headed towards Dumbledore's Office, where Dumbledore was waiting for them outside. Nodding his head in greeting, Dumbledore turned around and gave the password to reveal the familiar spiral staircase. Before they could enter his office, Dumbledore stopped them.

"Before we go in, I want both of you to hand me your wands." Remus looked at him quizzically but complied. Sirius was a bit more hesitant but handed his wand over eventually. "Now, what's inside of the room may come as a bit of a shock, please try not to overreact." His eyes focused on Sirius but glanced over at me with a warning look.

Accepting our silent responses, Albus opened the door and let us walk in. Remus's stomach dropped as he saw the two figures sitting in the chairs opposite him. He glanced at Sirius, whose jaw was clenched and had his hands in fists.

Who were these people, and how did they look exactly like James and Lily? Why had Dumbledore called them there to see them? Remus blinked back tears. Possibilities ran through his mind, but none were possible. Dumbledore wouldn't allow Death Eaters into his study, they were certainly alive, they weren't ghosts, and people can't come back from the dead.

"Who are you, and how dare you imposter Lily and James! Albus, how could you show us these, these, these people? Do you know how much this hurts?" Sirius yelled. Remus nodded, putting a hand on Sirius's shoulder to comfort and hopefully calm him down.

"Padfoot, mate, it really is us." The so-called James said. Gosh, it even sounded like James. "If you want, Dumbledore can go get some Veritraserum and prove it."

Remus shook his head. They didn't need to waste the school's supply of Veritraserum. "If you're really who you say you are, turn in to Prongs." Sirius nodded beside him. Remus's shoulders tensed in anticipation. Surely-

With a _pop_ , the man in front of him had turned into an all too familiar stag.

James transformed back into himself and took a cautious step towards Remus and Sirius. Remus blinked. But how? Why?

"James? Lily? It's really you?" Lily nodded, smiling hesitantly.

"It's us, Remus." A tear dripped down Remus's face, and he didn't try to wipe it away. His best friends were back from the dead by some miracle and were living right in front of him.

He pulled James into a big hug, releasing a watery chuckle. "Don't do that to us again, alright mate? Gave us a mighty scare, you did." Remus let go. "You look as if you've been living all these years."

"Its a shame death doesn't stop wrinkles," James replied. Sirius laughed, pulling James in for a hug while Remus hugged Lily. Once everything settled down, Albus summoned two more chairs and they all sat down.

"How? How are they alive again? I mean they were dead for fourteen years!" Sirius exclaimed. Remus laughed at his bluntness

"I have my suspicions, but I'm not sure about anything yet," Albus replied. Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"And your suspicions are?" He asked, curious. Dumbledore took a few moments to formulate his reply and then slowly answered.

"Well, I suspect that some ancient magic was reawakened that night in the graveyard with Harry. When Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, all those whom he killed that shared Harry's blood reawakened as well." Remus nodded. The explanation was a bit of a stretch, but when it came to ancient magic, almost anything was possible.

"Wait, what's this about Harry and a graveyard?" Lily asked. "Where even is Harry? If he isn't with Moony or Padfoot, where is he?" _Oh, Merlin, she is going to be MAD when she finds out where he is_ Remus thought. He looked over at Sirius and gave him a look that said, " _It's your turn now."_ He groaned and Remus smirked.

"He lives at your sister's house, Lily, with her son and husband."

" _What?_ " Lily's high voice pierced the air. "He's living with _Petunia_?"

"Is she the one who called you a freak whenever you went for Summer Holiday? The one who sent us that really ugly vase last Christmas?" James asked, taking her hand. Lily nodded.

"Yes. The one who despises anything to do with magic and our world." She growled and gripped the edge of her chair in a death-like grip. "We specifically put it in our will for either Sirius or Remus to care for him! And as a last resort, Mrs. Weasley! Why has he been sent there, of all places? Petunia has practically disowned me from the Evans family!"

"Well, you see-" Dumbledor attempted to provide an explanation, but Lily was having none of it.

"No, you see, Albus. If he was hurt at all in that house, and I mean physically or emotionally, you can bet your last Galleon that you will regret sending him there. Capice?" Albus nodded. Remus and Sirius watched the exchange with wide eyes, while James tried to calm his wife down before she blew up Albus's office. "Good. Let's go then."

No one was willing to argue with her and complied. Albus followed them out of his office, waving them off. Lily muttered stuff underneath her breath while they walked outside of Hogwarts' anti-apparition wards.

"Petunia is about to have the worst morning of her life." Lily murmured. They all grabbed hands, and with a _pop_ , disapparated to Privet Drive.


	4. Chapter 4

They landed at Number 4 Privet drive a second later. Lily scowled at the sight of the house. It was too perfect, the identical houses and lawns lined up in a symmetric row. It was the perfect place for Lily's sister. She hated it.

"Maybe having a kid changed her," James suggested. Lily looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Petunia has hated magic ever since Albus said she couldn't go to Hogwarts. I doubt a kid would change that," Lily shook her head, "but for Harry's sake, I hope she has."

Lily led the other three up to the door, knocking on it with a shaking fist. Who would open the door? As much as she wanted to see him, Lily hoped it wouldn't be Harry. She wanted a more formal introduction, not suddenly appearing on his doorstep

Shouting could be heard from inside, along with a few bangs. Maybe someone tripped and few? A door slammed, and then the front door opened revealing Vernon Dursely. 14 years hadn't done much for his figure. He had allowed his mustache to grow out, as well as developed 4 more chins. At the sight of the 4 wizards, his eyes widened, and his face turned a violent shade of red.

"Pe-Pe- Petunia?!" He shouted, "Those- those magic folk are here!" Lily rolled her eyes, though the words caused more worry to stir in her heart. Those magic folk? She had one living under her roof! She felt James tense beside her and didn't have to look to know that Sirius and Remus were both just as put off by the statement as she was.

"What do you freaks want?" Petunia hissed through her teeth. Dudley, or so Lily assumed, waddled behind her. Lily flinched at the familiar insult. Petunia hadn't changed a bit. Lily only hoped that she had been kinder to her nephew then she had to her sister. "L-Lily? J-James? You're supposed to be dead!"

James slipped his hand into Lily's and squeezed it in encouragement. "Can we come in?" Lily asked, "We'll explain everything then." Petunia complied after glancing behind her and receiving a nod of approval from Vernon.

"Who are these people?" Vernon demanded. His voice was strong and powerful, something Lily might have respected if the situation were different.

"Vernon, darling, it's my sister and her husband and their-"

"What are they doing here?!" He shouted. "You guys are supposed to be dead! That Volda- thingy killed you! That's why we had to take in your stubborn little brat!" James stepped in front of Lily, dropping her hand to stand in front of Vernon

"Don't you dare insult my son," James's voice was sharp and low. He took a step closer to Vernon. "It would do you well to tell us where my son is before I show you just what us freaks can do." A small smile crept up Lily's face at the threat. She squeezed James's hand.

Vernon's face grew a darker shade of red, turning almost purple, and nodded. "I'll be glad to get rid of that spoiled brat. You can have the boy if you can find him, but I won't be taking that boy under my roof again." Lily nearly growled at how he referred to Harry. Boy? Spoiled brat? How the hell had her son been raised for the past 14 years?

"Get out of my sight, Dursley." Her voice was tight as she tried to rein in her emotions. The sooner they found Harry, the sooner they could leave this place.

"Ok, Sirius, Remus, you check upstairs because he is probably up there waiting in his room and will respond to seeing you better. James and I will check downstairs just in case."

It was like the old days when they would go on Order missions together. Splitting up but remaining in pairs. Its how they got their best work done, and it felt good to get back in the rhythm of it.

The group nodded and split into their respective groups. Remus and Sirius tromped upstairs, while Lily and James checked the downstairs. Vernon had taken Petunia and Dudley on a car ride, or so it seemed as the house was deserted.

Lily muttered to herself. "This house is almost an exact copy of the one I grew up in." Checking the bathroom, she sighed. Everything was spotless, just as Petunia liked it. The house was too clean; it made Lily feel like she was walking on eggshells everywhere she went. The kitchen and living room were empty as well. Sirius and Remus hadn't returned downstairs, so it was likely they were having the same luck she and James were having.

"Maybe he is at a friends house?" James suggested after they sat on the couch, waiting for Remus and Sirius to return. "He's got to be here somewhere, after all. If Sirius and Remus can't find him upstairs, then we can wait for him to come back here."

Lily nodded, scooting over so she could cuddle into James's side. "I'm worried, James."

"I know, I am too. But it'll all end up alright, I know it."

Sirius and Remus returned downstairs and sat down on the couch with Lily and James.

"No success upstairs. Maybe he is at a friends house?" Sirius suggested.

"That's what I was thinking," James said. "We can just wait it out."

"Wait..." Remus jumped up from the couch and walked towards the stairs. "James, Lily, did you check this cupboard?" Lily shook her head.

"It's too small for anyone to be in, so we just skipped it," Remus muttered something underneath his breath and played with the lock until it clicked. A long string of curse words escaped his mouth. Lily jumped up and ran towards Remus, gasping when she saw who was inside.

Harry sat on an extremely worn mattress, cuts and bruises decorating his body. Clothes that were way too large hung off of him. His bright green eyes shined in the darkness at the sight of a familiar face.

"Remus?" His voice was shaky, "What're you doing here? Wasn't Dumbledore supposed to pick me up?" Lily backed out of view as to not cause too much of a shock. What had happened to her baby boy?

Remus's shoulders were tense with anger, but he reined it in to keep himself from scaring Harry. "He sent Sirius and me to pick you up, along with a few friends." Offering a hand, he helped Harry out of the cupboard.

"Really? Where's Sirius?"

"Right here, kiddo." Sirius had made his way over from the couch. Anger bubbled in his stomach at the sight of what those blasted muggles had done to his godson, but he kept it from showing in front of Harry. "We're here to get you out of this hellhole, have you got your stuff?"

Confusion clouded Harry's eyes, but he nodded. "Great. Before we go, there are some people you should meet. Or, well, rather meet again."

"Yeah? Who is it?" Harry grabbed the side of his shirt that had fallen off his shoulder and pulled it, so it sat precariously back on his shoulder. His face shone bright red with embarrassment, but no one said a word.

James and Lily crept out from the wall they were hiding behind. Harry's eyes widened, and his shoulders started to shake. Remus tried to rest a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Harry shook it off.

"What? Who are you? What are you doing here?" A sharp pang stabbed Lily's chest. He didn't even recognize them. His voice sounded so hurt, so broken.

"Harry, I know it sounds crazy, but they're your parents." Harry shook his head.

"No, my parents are dead. I don't know who those people are, but they aren't my parents. They're dead." Harry's eyes filled with unshed tears. Lily wished she could go and wrap him in a tight hug.

Remus brushed Harry's hair out of his eyes, pulling his hand back when Harry flinched. "I know its hard to understand Harry. We don't realy understand it either. But they are your parents, I promise. Padfoot and I wouldn't do that to you." Remus kept his voice soft.

"They can't-why? How?"

"We're not sure, Harry." Sirius said softly, "but these are your parents. And they want to meet you." Harry nodded slowly, before walking up to James and Lily.

"Mum? Dad?" His voice was barely above a whisper, almost as if he were afraid that if he talked louder, they would disappear. Lily smiled and looked down at the boy in front of her. He had grown to nearly the same height as her, and he was only 15.

"Oh, my boy." She whispered, pulling him into a soft hug. Harry tensed, before letting himself enjoy the embrace and wrap his arms around her.

"I can't believe it's you," he said, "I've dreamed about this for so long. You have no idea."

"I'm not going anywhere," Lily promised, pulling back a bit. "Not for a long, long time. I promise." Harry nodded, a small smile growing on his face. James pulled him in for a hug, holding him tight.

"No one is going to hurt you ever again, son," James promised, looking Harry in the eyes. "Not anymore."

Lily smiled at the sight and headed over to Sirius and Remus.

"You were really good with him," she whispered, "thank you."

"You don't have to thank us." Sirius said with a smile, "seeing him happy is enough." Remus nodded in agreement.

"Harry, are you alright to apparate?" Sirius asked after James and Harry broke from their hug. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, where are we headed?"

"Hogwarts for now. That way Poppy can check you over, and we can get some lunch." Harry blushed again but nodded as he followed the group out the door and apparated away to the magical castle.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry decided that he hated apparating.

His chest constricted as if he were being sucked into a tube, which made the pain from his injuries increase even more. The sharp impact of landing cause pain to flare through his ankle up through his calf. Thrown off balance by the pain, his leg buckled and he toppled to the ground.

Three pairs of concerned eyes trained themselves on Harry.

"Harry! Are you ok?" Sirius asked, rushing over to his godson. Harry gave a weak nod. "Can you stand up?"

Harry attempted to stand, hoping that he could ignore the pain in his ankle. He soon found out that applying any amount of pressure to it sent jolts of pain through his calf, and it was impossible to stand, let alone walk. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, and Harry shook his head in defeat. "No," he gasped.

The other three adults crouched down beside him. His mum waved her wand over his leg, casting a diagnostic charm. Ignoring the list of other injuries, her face grew grim.

"It's broken," she said softly, "why didn't you tell us it was broken?"

"I," Harry gasped in pain, "I didn't know. I think it was sprained before, I landed on it wrong"

"Madam Pomfrey can fix it up once we get back to Hogwarts. I don't want to try anything now because it might make it worse. Hogwarts isn't that far off, if we help you, Harry, do you think you can make it?" Remus kept his voice gentle, all too aware of the pain Harry was experiencing.

With a deep breath, Harry nodded. His mum transfigured two sticks into crutches, and with their help, the group slowly made their way to Hogwarts.

The pain in his ankle took dominance over his thoughts, something which Harry was thankful for. It kept hundreds of other thoughts from sprinting through his mind. His parents were alive, Moony and Padfoot were safe and with him, and _holy shit they knew about the Dursleys._

That thought alone terrified him. He had spent so many years of his life hiding the actions of his relatives. He was supposed to suck it up and deal with it for one more summer and then forget about them and everything they had done. No one was supposed to know.

What scared him more was that no one had brought it up yet. Besides the concerned looks each one of the adults had given him, you wouldn't guess that they had just rescued him from a cupboard under the stairs in his abusive house. Were they going to mention it? Or were they waiting for him to bring it up?

The hot weather made Harry's injuries even more miserable. He was used to the sting of sweat dripping into the belt lashes on his back, and the overwhelming presence of overexertion. That didn't make it any easier to bear though. The cool air of the castle was a welcome relief.

The route to the hospital wing was a familiar one, and probably one Harry could walk in his sleep. The group continued to walk in silence, and Harry wished that one of them would yell at him already.

"I think its best for either Remus or I to take Harry into the Hospital Wing. Poppy doesn't know about your return yet." Mum nodded. James squeezed Harry's shoulder, and he tried not to flinch. His dad couldn't know that the night before Uncle Vernon had hit that exact shoulder with the belt buckle.

"We'll be back soon. I need to have a few words with Albus." James's voice was calm, but anyone could see that she wasn't going to have just 'a few words' with the Headmaster.

"I'll go-"

"No, I'll go Padfoot. You stay with Harry. I have a few things I wish to discuss with the Headmaster as well."

"But-"

"The headmaster doesn't need any more of his things broken, Padfoot." Harry grinned. That's exactly something his godfather would do.

"Ok, come on pup. Let's go get you all fixed up." The group bid their goodbyes and split up. Sirius led Harry into the hospital wing and called out for Madame Pomfrey. Harry rested his crutches against the wall and sat down on a random bed.

"What in heaven's name happened to you, Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey bustled out of her office, "One would think you come here often enough during the school year that you needn't come during summer as well!"

"You know how much I love this place, Madame Pomfrey. I couldn't go a month without coming to visit again." Harry joked. She tsked away as she waved her wand over him.

"I'll be casting a quick diagnostic charm on you, dear, so I can see how bad the break is. And it'll let me know if you have any other injuries that need my attention." Harry cringed at the Potion's Professor's name. He was more concerned about the spell, though. Any other injuries? That list would be 5 feet long. She would know everything. Sirius would know everything. His most carefully held secret would be revealed. How could he have been so careless?

As the spell's results came in on the paper, Madame Pomfrey's eyes grew at the magnitude of injuries. Bones that had never healed right, deep lacerations, burns, and of course that break in his ankle. After a few moments, the quill began to stop scribbling, and Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat.

"Well?" Sirius asked.

"I-I think its best I give you a sleeping drought, dearie. There are quite a few bones that require rebreaking so I can heal them straight." Harry nodded, and Madame Pomfrey summoned the potion from her office. Pouring out the right dosage, she handed it to Harry. Scrunching up his face, Harry drank the potion. He could barely make out the words the nurse spoke to his godfather and soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Poppy?" Sirius asked as soon as Harry was asleep. "How bad is he?"

"Sirius, please tell me that this isn't what I think it is." Sirius grimaced.

"It depends on what you are thinking it is."

"Was Harry abused?" Sirius flinched but nodded. "Dear Merlin, the poor child."

"We found him locked in the cupboard under the stairs," Sirius said. Madame Pomfrey gasped. Her hands clenched the diagnostic paper even tighter. "Can I see that?"

Madame Pomfrey passed it over and commentated as Sirius read it over. "I don't understand how someone could be sick enough to do that to another person. Let alone a child."

"Multiple lacerations on the back of the torso, ranging in degrees of severity." Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose. "No child deserves to go through this."

"Indeed." She vanished Harry's shirt, revealing the spread of bruises and cuts. "Oh my god..."

"Oh Harry," Sirius's voice cracked. Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over Harry's torso, muttering spells under her breath. The bruising disappeared, and the cuts closed up. The sickening crunch of bones breaking followed as she re-broke the couple of bones that hadn't healed properly. With a handful more spells, she healed those as well as his ankle bone. Scanning the list once more, she shook her head.

"There isn't much more I can do, other than give him potions. I'll have to contact Severus. He needs a nutrition and a bone density potion. As well as one for his concussion, though I may have that in my office."

"So they..."

"Starved him? It appears so. Years of malnutrition has led to his bone density being low, another reason why it's so easy and common for them to break. It has also set back his growth severely. If we had caught this any later, I might not have been able to fix it. But if he takes a nutrition potion with breakfast and dinner every day, he should catch up with his classmates in a year or so."

Madame Pomfrey left to find the potion and floo call Severus. Sirius grabbed Harry's hand.

"I'm sorry I failed you, pup," he whispered, "I can't believe I let this happen to you. If I had known what was going on, I would have gotten you out of there immediately." Tears slipped down his face. "Gosh, Harry, I wish you had told me. Or Moony. But its okay now. You're going to be okay. I'm not letting you go back to those muggles ever again. You have your mom and dad, and Moony, and me. Together we'll take care of you. We'll protect you."

His promise was met with silence, but that was okay. He held Harry's hand in silence and brushed back his hair from his eyes. The sleeping draught should have worn off by now, the dosage Pomfrey gave him was only meant for him to stay asleep for half an hour. He was sleeping on his own now, exhaustion kicking in.

A few moments later, Severus walked in with Madam Pomfrey. In his hands were the potions she had mentioned to Sirius earlier. The man placed the potions down on the bedside table and turned to Madame Pomfrey.

"Would you like to explain now, Poppy, why you rushed into my office and demanded these potions? For the Potter boy? In the middle of summer?" Severus's voice was scathing. Anger coursed through Sirius, but he ignored it.

"Harry is suffering from severe malnutrition and is healing from multiple broken bones and lacerations," Poppy said professionally. "You know as well as I do the effects malnutrition can have on children, Severus. It was imperative he receives the nutrition potion as soon as possible."

"Potter was...Potter was abused?" Severus stammered. Madame Pomfrey gave him a prompt nod. "For how long?"

"From what I can gather from the records, since he was an infant." Sirius blanched. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose before leaving, muttering an excuse of having more nutrient potion to brew.

"How long will he be asleep?" Sirius asked curiously. Madame Pomfrey shook her head.

"Time will tell. He was extremely over exerted and sleep deprived. Poor boy hasn't had a full nights sleep in months. Now that he's fallen into a deep sleep, there isn't any way of telling when his body will deem it a good time to wake up." Sirius nodded. "I'll be in my office doing paperwork. If you need me, I'm just a call away.

Sirius nodded once more, and watched as the nurse walked away. How do you confirm to your best friends that their son has been abused for the past 14 years of his life? How do you tell them that if you hadn't made a stupid mistake, you could have been there for him and prevented any abuse from happening? How do you tell your best friends how much of a fuck up you are?

Sirius didn't have an answer to any of those questions, nor did he have the time to figure out an answer for any of them as his best friends soon walked through the door of the hospital wing.


	6. Chapter 6

"Padfoot? What's the matter?" Concern laced James's voice as he entered the hospital wing, followed by Lily and Remus. "How is Harry?"

Sirius shook his head, taking a shaking breath. "Not good," he started. His three friends summoned chairs and each took seats around Harry's bed, all three sharing the same look of concern. "They-" his voice cracked, tears started to fall down his face. "Here's a list of all his current and past injuries."

He handed the list to them, unable to tell them how bad Harry had been hurt. Instead, he watched Harry whose face was slowly gaining color and was relaxing.

"How could they do all of this to him?" James demanded, voice growing angry. "How dare they take in my son and treat him worse than dirt!"

Tears were streaming down Lily's face, and she began to sob. Remus took the sheet from James's hands and scanned over it quickly, an enraged look growing on his face. He looked up to Sirius "How dare they hurt my cub." He muttered. "If only..."

Sirius shook his head. "Don't go there Moony. You've done nothing wrong. It's me who should be having regrets. You couldn't have done anything. I'm the one who went and got myself locked up in Azkaban. I-"

"Wait, what?" James looked up from comforting Lily. "You got yourself locked up in Azkaban?"

Sirius grimaced. "After you two were, er, killed, I went after Pettigrew. I confronted him in a street, and he blew up the whole place killing 13 muggles and staging his death."

"What about a trial? They could have found out the truth using Veritaserum."

"They didn't give me a trial. Everyone believed I was the one who betrayed you two. They carted me off to Azkaban the next day. I was there for 12 years before I managed to escape in Padfoot form."

"How are you not crazy?"

"The dementors didn't affect me as much if I was Padfoot, so I transformed whenever I could get away with it." James ran his hand through his hair, a deep sigh escaping his mouth.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Padfoot. You didn't deserve that."

"I mean if I hadn't-"

"No, it's not your fault. Its fucking Pettigrew's fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for anything."

"But if I hadn't-"

"Don't blame yourself for anything that happened to Harry. None of this is on you, Padfoot." Sirius shook his head.

"I don't know how you can see it that way, but thank you Prongs."

"I've been trying to convince this dog since I found out the truth that it wasn't his fault. He's been blaming himself this whole time." Remus interrupted. "Typical Padfoot."

James shook his head again, a mix between a grin and a grimace twisting on his mouth. Lily grabbed Harry's other hand, holding it just like Sirius. "Thank you for staying behind with him, Padfoot."

"Yeah, no problem. How was the meeting with Dumbledore?"

"Ugh, that man. He wouldn't believe us. He told us he had proof that Harry was being treated perfectly fine and we must be overexaggerating."

"A simple glance at Harry's medical record says differently," Sirius said, glancing at Harry again. Even after dealing with abuse at his own home for the majority of his childhood, Sirius still hadn't noticed the signs in Harry. The flinching, the aversion to loud noises, his eagerness to live with Sirius after knowing him for only a few hours. It all made sense now, and Sirius hated that he hadn't caught it sooner. Lily nodded in agreement.

The four adults sat in silence for hours after. No one had the energy nor the motivation to say anything. Harry's still body lay between them as a barrier. Everyone stayed lost in their thoughts. House elves from the kitchen brought up food, but it was left mostly untouched.

A few hours past midnight, they began to doze off. Lily first, probably from the exhaustion from crying earlier. Sirius second, followed by Remus. James fell asleep last, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He couldn't stop watching his son, wondering how the universe could be so cruel to him. Somehow, despite the hurricane of thoughts swirling through his head, the last Potter fell asleep.

Everyone woke up late the next morning around 10 am. Harry was still asleep, and they decided that they would eat in the hospital. Their breakfast was quiet with the occasional small talk. What do you say to your best friends that have been dead for 14 years?

"What is Harry like?" Lily asked abruptly. Their breakfast had disappeared, and the adults were left to the familiar, yet slightly uncomfortable silence. "Is he a good kid?"

Remus smiled fondly. "He is the best of kids. He has a huge heart for others, and is extremely selfless,"

"Not to mention reckless." Sirius butted in. "He has a knack for finding trouble."

"Trouble typically finds him," Remus corrected. "Harry's a smart kid and is extremely powerful. He produced a corporeal Patronus by the end of his 3rd year. "

"What? That's nearly unheard of." Lily looked impressed. "How did he learn? Who taught him?"

Remus blushed. "I did. In Harry's third year Albus ordered dementors to patrol Hogwarts because Sirius had escaped and was still thought to be a madman at the time. Harry hated how the Dementors affected him and asked me to help him learn to defeat them."

"He's a great friend and a good person overall. You would be proud of him." Sirius finished with a small smile.

"I can't believe we've missed so much of his life," James muttered. "Are things ever going to go back to normal?"

"No," Remus said hesitantly. "But, nothing with the Potter's is ever normal. Everything will go back to being okay, though. Sooner or later it'll be as if you two never left."

"What if-what if he doesn't like us? What if we disappoint him?" Lily's voice cracked.

"All you can do is love him and try to be there for him. He's wished for this to happen his entire life. You are both amazing people. I know he'll love you. There's no way you could disappoint him."

Harry's still body began to move at that moment. His hands flexed before his eyes cracked open. He squeezed them shut against the bright light of the hospital wing, and let out a loud yawn.

"Wher' am I?" He muttered, voice thick with sleep.

"Hospital wing," Sirius reminded him. "How are you feeling, pup?"

"Sore, but better." Harry took a moment to stretch before opening his eyes. "Wait, mum? Dad? That wasn't a dream?"

James chuckled, "No, we're here to stay. Don't worry."

"Good," Harry sighed in relief before perking up again, panic etching his face. "Shoot, Sirius-"

"Yes, they all know." Sirius kept his voice calm. "Madame Pomfrey healed you all up. She's going to give us a potions regimen for you, and after we get that you should be alright to leave."

"You don't hate me?"

"Pup, I couldn't hate you. Nothing that happened was your fault. You couldn't have done anything. But why didn't you tell us? Remus and I could have gotten you out of there. You could have lived with the Weasley's."

Harry shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak but ended up coughing for a moment before continuing. "Do you know how many times I begged Dumbledore to take me from there? How many times the Weasley's offered to take me in, and I had to turn them down because Dumbledore wouldn't let me? Because of some stupid blood wards, I had to stay at the Dursleys. For 'protection' reasons or something like that. He wouldn't listen when I told him I never considered it home. That I wouldn't be alive to defeat Voldemort if he kept sending me back there. He wouldn't listen."

"Dumbledore knew?" Remus's outraged look was mirrored by the rest of the adults. "And he did nothing about it?"

"He sent people to check up on me. That just made the Dursley's even worse, so I told him that I was fine and to stop sending people. They made me write every three days, but the Dursleys read every letter I owled before I could send it. Its fine I guess. It wasn't too bad; I got used to it."

"Wasn't too bad?! Harry, they abused you. I saw the list myself. You shouldn't have had to get used to it. Dumbledore should have gotten you out of there as soon as he learned about what was happening. Nothing justifies child abuse." At the word 'abuse,' Harry flinched. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry."

"No!" Harry sat up quickly, wincing in pain from the sudden movement. "Don't blame yourself. You couldn't do anything. It was all my fault. If I had behaved better, done less to anger them, made them like me more, they wouldn't have had to do what they did. It's my fault, not yours."

"Harry, listen to me," James crouched down near his son's head so that he could look Harry in the eye. "I may not have known you for long, but I know that whatever you did didn't warrant the punishments they gave you. Nothing warrants abusing a child. The only people at fault are them. And I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure they pay for what they've done."

Harry nodded, eyes wide.

"Harry, baby, I grew up with Petunia. There wasn't anything you could have done to prevent this. No matter how perfect you acted, she still would have acted the way she did. I know the same could be said for Vernon. They are the ones who are in the wrong. Please don't blame yourself for this, baby."

"Ok," Harry whispered, throat hoarse. Tears welled in his eyes, but he held them back. He couldn't cry in front of his parents. Then they would realize how weak he was and stop acting as if they cared. As much as he wished it was genuine, he knew they couldn't love him. No one could love him.

"I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey," Remus said, getting up. "You probably need your potions now that you're awake."

Sirius got up but didn't follow Remus to Madame Pomfrey's office.

"Where are you going Padfoot?" James asked, looking up from Harry. Sirius turned around and grimaced.

"Dumbledore and I need to have a few words. I'll be back."

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please leave some feedback and let me know what you think! I'm welcome to constructive criticism. Let me know what you like, what you don't like, what I could improve, etc. I would love to know! Thank you all for reading and sticking with this story! 3**


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